Coco Gauff defeated fellow American Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the Wimbledon 2026 quarterfinals on Tuesday at Centre Court. The win sent Gauff into her first Wimbledon semifinal.
Pegula took the opening set 6-4 after a strong start. Gauff fought back in the second set to win 6-3. She carried that momentum into the deciding set and closed it out 6-3.
Gauff improved her serving as the match went on. She hit seven aces and overcame seven double faults. At one point, she won 16 of her first 19 first serve points. Her movement on grass looked sharper than in past years. Pegula hit with power but made more unforced errors in the later sets.
The match was an all American quarterfinal. Pegula had reached this stage by beating Iva Jovic earlier in the tournament. Gauff had advanced by defeating Belinda Bencic in four sets in the previous round.
Gauff showed better consistency after dropping the first set. She broke Pegula’s serve at key moments in the second and third sets. Pegula stayed competitive but could not maintain her early level.
This result marks Gauff’s first semifinal appearance at Wimbledon. It completes her set of semifinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments. Pegula, seeded higher, exits the event after a solid run on grass.
Both players competed at a high level in a tight contest. Gauff’s adjustments on the surface and improved serving proved decisive in the comeback. The victory keeps American interest alive deep into the tournament. Gauff will next face the winner of Naomi Osaka versus Karolina Muchova in the semifinals.